The Madison Job
by serenelystrange
Summary: My first try at an actual multi-chapter "job" fic. Teamfic! Parker/Eliot, Parker/Hardison.. Probably some Nate/Sophie as well. Anyhoo, please give this a shot and let me know what you think! :D COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: My first attempt at a full fledge, multi-chapter, actual Job fic. Not sure where the pairings will go just yet, but there will be team interaction, and squabbling, because I love when they bicker, lol. Oh, and this takes place sometime after the first season, but it doesn't really matter. Please review. I'll try and update frequently, I'm far too impatient for one of those months' long fics. :D I hope you like it.

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"Ok, team. We have a new job." Nate made his announcement as he walked into the meeting, late, but apparently sober. Hardison sputtered in surprise; usually he got the info before the general meeting, so he had time to prepare his slideshow. He looked at Eliot and then Parker, who both gave him shrugs in response. He turned to question Sophie, only then realizing she wasn't there, which in itself was odd. Nate continued as if nothing was different.

"The client is Amanda Smith, age 27. Nurse at the county general. Married to Bill Smith, 30, security guard at the same hospital." He paused as Eliot interrupted,

"Bill Smith? Really? Sounds like an alias to me, boss." Nate nodded,

"Getting to that, actually. Now, after talking Mrs. Hark, Amanda's mother, I'm pretty sure it's an alias as well. And I'm pretty sure that Amanda has gotten caught up in something she can't get out of. She's gone off the grid. And that's where we come in." He paused to take in their reactions.

Eliot nodded as he thought, probably about all the ways he could take down guys without any shots being fired. Hardison was already on his laptop, doing whatever it was he did so well. Parker however, was staring at Nate, as something flickered in her mind.

"Wait. You said you spoke to Mrs. Hark? But our client is Amanda? Why would her mother come to us for something like this? Her daughter isn't some teenage runaway; she's a full grown woman. Why wouldn't she just call the cops?" Eliot and Hardison looked at her in surprise, not sure why they hadn't caught that themselves. They really didn't give her enough credit sometimes. Nate smiled kindly at the blonde, pleased she picked up on it.

"Well, Mrs. Hark isn't just concerned about her daughter. She's also concerned about her granddaughter, Madison, age 3."

He pulled out a photo from one of the many folders in front of him, passing it around. The photo was of the small family, one of those professional shots that get taken at department stores. Amanda was a tiny woman, maybe 5 foot tall, with light brown hair and bright blue eyes that shone against her pale skin, even in the photo. Bill was a shade or two lighter than Hardison, with deep brown eyes and a relaxed smile. He was tall, probably a full foot taller than Amanda, and built at least as strongly as Eliot. Little Madison sat between them, arms held on both sides by her grinning parents. Her skin was the color of caramel, and she had her mother's bright blue eyes. Her head was covered in a massive amount of curls, held in place by several little ponytails. In short, she was adorable. Even Parker smiled at the girl's toothy grin.

"They look so happy," she commented, not quite able to hide the flash of emotion across her face. The others pretended not to notice.

"They were happy. For a while anyway," Nate continued, tucking the photo back into the folder. "Which is why we're going to help them. Now, we're not exactly sure what we're up against yet, but Mrs. Hark's insistence has made this case pretty urgent. She's worried that whomever took her daughter, if anybody at all, will come back for her granddaughter. So, we're going to protect her."

This time Hardison caught on first. "Hold up now. What do you mean, protect her? Like, babysit her? We're criminals, not babysitters!"

Nate nodded, at once listening to and dismissing Hardison's protest. "Yep, that about sums it up. Congratulations, Hardison, you're a daddy." Parker snorted out loud as Hardison choked on nothing, and Eliot's smirk was more pronounced than usual.

Nate turned to Parker, smiling still, "Oh, and Parker? You're the mommy." Three identical expressions of shock was his reply. After a moment, Eliot composed himself.

"Nate? Not that I'm against the plan, much. But, these two? Really? With a kid? Hardison doesn't even know what a vegetable is! And Parker… hell, she's Parker!" He smiled at Parker just so she knew he wasn't attacking her, but she was still too dazed to even notice. Nate nodded thoughtfully,

"Yeah. I considered that, trust me. And if I could, I would leave you or Sophie in charge of Madison, but you're both going to be needed for the first stage. Plus, with Hardison and Parker, we have the advantage of Madison being able to pass as their biological child. It will cause fewer questions. Of course, they'll all have to live together for a while, but I'm sure they can handle a few weeks in the same house." Eliot just stared; sure Nate really had lost his mind this time. And finally, Hardison and Parker snapped out of shock as their brains caught up to the information they'd just been fed. At once, they rambled out protests.

"I can't be a mom!"

"I cannot live with Parker! She eats fortune cookies for breakfast!"

"Rivers of orange soda!"

"Too many places to crawl into and scare me in the middle of the night!"

"Up all night…Thinks he's a vampire!"

"Only got one bed, and no kid room stuff!"

"I don't do bedtime stories!"

"She's potty trained, right?"

"Enough!" Eliot stopped them, yelling to overcome their frantic voices. "If this is the best thing for the client, and for the team, we should do it. You two just need to act like real adults for a few weeks. You can do it. Plus, we'll be here to help." He huffed and resumed his slouch.

Nate nodded his thanks at Eliot and turned to the new couple, who still looked torn. "Guys, we need you on board for this one, this little girl could be in real danger. We don't want anything to happen to her, do we?"

At once, they felt ashamed of being so selfish, but also annoyed at the clear manipulation on Nate's part. How could they say no when he gave them that look, the look he always got when trying to save kids; haunted. Hardison sighed.

"Alright, fine! But we're staying at my place. I can't live without my technology." Nate rolled his eyes but nodded his agreement, and then looked to Parker for confirmation. She glared, but didn't say anything, so he took it as a yes.

"Great, then," he clapped his hands once, "Sophie should be here any minute with Madison, and we can get started. I now pronounce you man and wife."

Eliot grinned. This was going to be fun.

TBC

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So that was the first chapter. Hope you like it so far. More to come!

:D


	2. Story Time

_A/N – _Ok folks. Here's chapter two. Hope you like it. If you have any questions, just ask. Also, please review. Thanks! :D

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Hardison's apartment had never seemed so small. Sure, his living room was massive, and there was plenty of seating, but four team members, himself, one small child, and the daunting task that lay ahead of him had Hardison sure he had developed claustrophobia in the last few minutes. He took a deep breath to steady himself; Nate was talking and he was pretty sure listening was important. But everything had moved so fast, his brain was still trying to process.

_Sophie had shown up just minutes after Nate had finished explaining the plan, little Madison held on her hip. The girl was nearly four years older, but could easily pass for half that, she was so tiny. Not malnourished or sickly, just small. Confronted with three smiling faces and one curious look(Parker), Madison promptly buried her face in Sophie's shoulder and refused to be let go. After much coaxing and Eliot's promise of a cookie, she reluctantly held out her arms to Eliot, allowing herself to be transferred from Sophie's arms to his own. Making a silly face at her, Eliot swooshed her through the air, making airplane noises, before depositing her on the couch as she giggled. "See there, peanut? We're friends." He looked up from his kneeling point to see his team members staring at him in unabashed shock. Parker's mouth actually hung open. "What?" he challenged, "Told you I had a nephew. He's a little older than Madison." Before the team could reply, Madison broke in._

"_Maddy," she mumbled, staring up at Eliot with her sad eyes. "Mama calls me Maddy," she said more definitively. Eliot nodded and patted the girl's hair softly, "Alright then Maddy, how about that cookie? You like chocolate chip?" She grinned widely and Eliot laughed. What kid didn't love chocolate chip cookies. _

_The rest of the day had flown by in preparation for Maddy's stay. Two twin beds were purchased to be placed in Hardison's spare bedroom, so that he or Parker could stay with the girl each night, just in case. Decorations and toys, care of Sophie, were purchased as well, causing Parker to pretend-gag at the vast amount of pink and glitter she was surrounded by. Eliot bought groceries that were child appropriate and stocked Hardison's cupboards, sneaking in a batch of homemade cookies that he could pull out if needed. Hardison and Parker mostly stood around, observing, before being left with watching Maddy at the office while the others set up. Curiously, Maddy had taken to Parker as quickly as she had taken to Eliot; something the thief wasn't sure what to do with. _

_Ignoring Nate's protests, Parker placed Disney's Aladdin in the DVD player and settled on the couch with Maddy to watch it. She only jumped a little bit when the girl crawled into her lap and leaned back against her. Unsure of what to do with her hands, she kept them at her side until Maddy pulled at them to come around her waist. Sort of like a seatbelt, Parker mused, but she didn't protest. After a few minutes, Hardison dropped onto the couch beside her, two sodas and one juicebox in hands. Maddy took the juice and sipped before handing it back and watching the movie once again. Hardison was unsure if this was normal kid behavior or not, but he placed the juice on the table and opened his soda. Noticing Parker's hands, he rolled his eyes and headed back to the kitchen, returning a moment with a straw. Opening her soda, he placed the straw in and offered it to Parker. She looked torn between embarrassment and fear of letting the girl go when she was getting comfortable with her, but thirst won out and Parker took a long sip from the straw, not thanking Hardison, but not scolding him either. It was going to be a long few weeks. _

Nate's sharp tone snapped Hardison back to the present. He shook his head clear as he tried to catch up.

"Yeah. What? I mean, yeah, whatever you say, Nate." He sputtered, utterly failing at cool. Parker giggled and he shot her a look of contempt. Honestly, how did she qualify to giggle at him? Nate just sighed.

"We were just getting ready to leave. Wanted to make sure you and Parker can take it from here." He explained slowly, as if talking to someone who didn't speak English well at all.

Hardison scowled deeply, causing Parker to squeal that he looked like Eliot and causing Eliot to glare at Parker. Sophie rolled her eyes and scooped up Maddy from Parker's lap and took her to get changed for bed, with the promise of a bedtime story from Parker. Parker's protest of, "I heard that! I said I don't do stories!" went unheeded.

Hardison felt a little better at Parker's annoyance and smiled at Nate. "We'll be fine. Go on and get some sleep, man. You look beat. She's just gonna sleep anyway. After mommy Parker reads her a story anyway." Nate's laugh was enough to make the couch pillow Parker smacked him with worth it, but damn did she have some arm on her.

The door clicked shut loudly as Nate, Sophie and Eliot left, leaving Parker and Hardison staring at each other, unsure of what to do. Parker broke first.

"I don't know any bedtime stories," she admitted, eyes downcast, "I didn't really hear them growing up." Hardison couldn't help the swell of sympathy he felt for the blonde, but wouldn't admit to it, plus, she would kill him if she knew. Still, he wasn't sure of how to respond, until a thought popped into his head.

"Oh! Ok, ok. Here's what we do. You tell Maddy one of your thievin'stories! And just, you know, clean it up a little. You know, make guns into wands, and make a thief a princess, all that good stuff." He grinned, pleased at his own idea. Parker's eyes grew wide as she considered it, jumping slightly as she smiled.

"Can it have a magic carpet like Aladdin?" she asked, dreamily.

"It's your story," Hardison shrugged, "It can be set 500 years in the future, with everybody speaking Chinese, for all I care. Just so long as the good guys win in the end."

Parker frowned, "But I always won. Good guys never caught me."

"It's a fairytale Parker; the good guys have to win. Otherwise you'll just scare her."

"Oh," she replied, "But I like winning." She furrowed her brow in thought.

Hardison rolled his eyes but laughed, "Parker, you're a good guy now, remember? So, you will win."

"But I still steal things, even when we're not on a job. How can I be a good guy?" Parker looked up at him, genuinely puzzled.

Feeling a headache coming on, Hardison breathed deep again. "You just are, alright? Now come on, we got a story to tell."

Parker nodded slowly, accepting the answer. "Ok," she paused, "And here." She shoved something shiny into Hardison's palm. He looked down to see his own watch in his hands. The watch that was on top of his dresser, the watch Parker shouldn't have been anywhere near.

"Seriously?" he questioned, half annoyed, half amused. She just shrugged,

"Told you I wasn't a good guy." Hardison sighed.

"Were you planning on keeping it?" Parker shook her head no. She had just taken because she could; she was going to put it back after he was asleep. Hardison laughed.

"See? Good guy. Now come on!" Grabbing her arm, he pulled her toward Maddy's room. It was story time.

TBC

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And yes, I do intend to make a chapter out of the story they tell Maddy. That'll probably be tomorrow. I hope you like it so far!


	3. Not Really a Bedtime Story

A/N – Ooook, this was supposed to be light and fluffy. And it started out that way, honest. But apparently angst decided to invade my brain today. But don't worry, I believe in happy endings, :D Please review.

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Maddy was waiting for them patiently, comfy in her new pink nightgown, wild hair a mass of curls just hitting her shoulders. Sophie had transformed the bed into something out of a fairy tale, all bright and pink and glittery, complete with a pink gauze canopy across the top.

Parker stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the sight but Hardison hushed her before she could laugh or say something completely inappropriate, even for Parker. After all, he reasoned, Maddy seemed to like it, so what was the harm? Parker rolled her eyes but got the message. She and Hardison pulled up a chair on either side of the bed but Maddy insisted that Parker sit next to her and read. Parker tossed Hardison an only slightly terrified glance, progress really, and crawled into the bed beside Maddy, who promptly cuddled into her side and looked up, expectantly. Hardison wanted to laugh at the image of Parker cuddling with a child, but he couldn't. If he was honest with himself, the scene was just too damn cute. Maddy's big blue eyes were shining up at Parker, who couldn't help but smile down at her. Taking a deep breath, Parker began the story.

"Ok, so there was this girl."

"Once upon a time," Hardison interrupted. At her glare, he repeated, insistently, "Once upon a time." Parker scowled but repeated it.

"Fine. Ok, Once upon a time, there was this girl. She was very clever and very flexible but most importantly, she was a really good th.. Princess." Parker raised an eyebrow at the look Hardison shot her as she was about to say thief. He raised his eyebrows right back and waved his hand as if to say, "Do go on." Somehow she could still feel the unspoken sarcasm. But Maddy was paying rapt attention, so she continued.

"Anyway. This Princess was the best Princess in the whole kingdom. She was better than all the other Princesses and the Princes too."

Maddy interrupted, "Why was she a better Princess than all the others?" Parker scrambled for a response, looking at Hardison helplessly, but he just smirked. Narrowing her eyes, Parker decided to tell the story her way.

"This Princess was better than all the other Princesses because she was also a thief!" Hardison had the audacity to actually look stunned, but Maddy just looked intrigued. Warming to the idea, Parker continued.

"Yes. This Princess was a thief. But a good thief. She only stole things from bad guys, and helped the good guys whenever she could. Of course she kept a few things for herself, anybody would, but the point is that she gave the people of her kingdom money when they really needed it, and for that they loved her." Maddy smiled, apparently happy with the story. Hardison, however, was not.

"You can't just tell her the story of Robin Hood! Robin Hood is not a fairy tale. It's a legend."

Parker grinned, "Well, so am I." Hardison had no comeback for that, he'd said himself she would be a legend, but he wouldn't admit it to her. He just shrugged, giving up. He supposed they were in fact a band of thieves that stole from the rich and gave to the poor. So he shook his head and settled in for the rest of the story.

Parker smiled, almost wistfully, and Hardison really wished he could read her mind.

"So this Princess, she was very good at what she did, but because of this, she had many enemies. Her biggest enemy was the evil Count Rogers. He was the richest man in the kingdom, besides the king, and this Princess stole from him often. She stole back the money and valuable he had forced the peasants to pay him to keep the town safe, because he didn't hold up his end of the bargain. He took their money and possessions, but drunks and killers and other bad guys still roamed the streets at night, looking for an easy target!"

Maddy clutched Parker's arm in fear and Hardison gave her a "told-you-so" look she ignored. Instead she patted Maddy's head comfortingly, assuring her it was just a story. Nobody actually got hurt. But her eyes clouded over, which did not go unnoticed by Hardison. Maddy was reassured and settled into the pillow to hear the rest.

"The evil Count Rogers was young and powerful, and actually quite handsome, and before she grew to know him, the Princess considered taking him as her lo... husband." Hardison also didn't miss the blush across Parker's face at her second near slip. Suddenly very interested, he leaned in to pay more attention to the story.

"But the Princess soon learned that the Count was not a good man at all. He was selfish and cruel and had a nasty temper. The Princess decided to avoid him at all costs. Unfortunately for her, the Count had decided that she would make him a fine wife, along with all the money of her family. He demanded that she marry him, but she refused, time and time again. At first, the Count was really nice to her. He brought her flowers and chocolates every day. He told her she was beautiful and that he loved her with all his heart. But the Princess knew it was a lie. The count didn't have a heart. And she wasn't beautiful." Hardison stopped himself from interrupting and telling her that of course she was beautiful, but he knew she would only be mad.

Parker paused to rest her throat. Maddy was awake, but barely, struggling to keep her eyes open, wanting to hear the rest. Parker looked up at Hardison, his face still set with an expectant look, he too was eager to hear the rest. Her voiced dipped lower and softer, until she was almost whispering, lost in her memory.

"After many days and nights of pleading with the Princess, the Count stopped being nice. He stormed the castle and kidnapped the Princess, dragging her back to his own home. She fought him as best as she could but he was too strong and had a really sharp kni.. sword. Rogers, he, he locked the Princess in his dungeon where he told her she would remain until she agreed to marry him. He beat her, savagely and with no remorse. When she could take no more pain, the Princess fell to the ground, broken."

Parker stopped suddenly, realizing how scary the story had turned, but Maddy was already deep asleep beside her. Wondering how her cheeks became wet, she brushed absently at them, looking at Hardison, frozen. She had forgotten he was there. She hated the look on his face, the expression somewhere between pity and disgust, and she wanted nothing more than to forget the story and go to bed, but she couldn't. She needed to finish the story, for reasons she couldn't or wouldn't understand.

"The evil Count Rogers wasn't satisfied with just beating the Princess. Instead", her voice caught for just a moment. "Instead, he waited until she was awake once again before he attacked her. She screamed and screamed and fought until every one of her fingernails was torn and bloody, but he didn't stop. After a few minutes, the Princess realized he enjoyed her screaming and her struggling, so she stopped. She lay perfectly still, not making a sound. This enraged the Count, and he slapped her again and again across the face, but she didn't even whimper, just stared at the ceiling though her swollen eyes. Finally, the Count tired of her and left her in the dungeon to die."

Hardison could barely breathe, "Jesus, Parker. What happened then? I mean, obviously you, I mean, the Princess escaped, but what happened?"

Parker grinned faintly, eyes narrowing at the memory. "The Princess escaped the dungeon the next night, easily once there was nobody to watch her. She snuck into the Count's bedchamber and set his bed on fire."

Hardison considered, "A bomb?" he asked. Parker nodded before continuing.

"The Count survived the fire. But now he was scarred and broken too. He killed himself not long after. Always the coward."

"Jesus, Parker," Hardison repeated, unsure of what else to say. His first instinct was to grab her in a hug and comfort her, tell her she wasn't broken, but he was afraid of how she would react. He settled for patting her hand softly. She didn't pull away.

"It's ok though," she gave him a lopsided smile, "The story has a happy ending. The Princess goes on to find a group of people like her, well kind of like her. And they work together to punish the bad guys, and, well you know the rest."

Hardison rubbed her hand gently with his thumb. "Yeah," he agreed, "I know the rest. But it's not over yet. Nobody's got their happy ending just yet."

Parker looked at him thoughtfully, and in that instant she looked perfectly sane, and years younger than she was. "We will," she assured him, and he wondered how this became about reassuring him. "We all will, eventually," she finished, before shooing him out so she could get some sleep.

Parker cuddled next to Maddy and quickly fell asleep, not even bothering to take off her shoes.

Hardison couldn't sleep right away, though he tried. Parker's story had hit him hard. Sure, he knew she grew up in a messed up situation, and it was generally assumed she'd had her run-ins with physical attack, but to actually hear it from her mouth, to see her eyes as she remembered, it made him feel sick. He was disappointed that Rogers had killed himself, because if he hadn't, a field trip with Eliot would have been necessary, and greatly enjoyed. They may not even have killed him, but they would've made him scream. The thought comforted Hardison and he finally fell into sleep.

TBC

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Sorry if I made you sad! There will be happiness ahead, I promise, 


	4. Regular People

A/N – So I think I now know where all of this is going. There will be three or four more chapters at the most. Maybe less if I get on a roll. Hope you like this latest chapter, it's pretty long. Probably should've broken it up but my fingers just kept typing, lol. You know how it goes, 

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Nate went over his notes one last time before he would give them to Hardison to digitalize and powerpoint-erize. Eliot's recon had given them no answers, but some interesting questions. The main question was of course the question of where Bill and Amanda had disappeared to. The most interesting question however, was why weren't the people Bill and Amanda worked with more concerned they were gone? There were barely any mentions of them in the three days of audio Eliot had recorded, with Hardison's remote assistance, of course. The surveillance proved useless, except that it proved more surveillance was necessary. They weren't sure what it was exactly, but there was definitely something going on within the ER of the hospital.

The set-up was easy enough. Nate almost felt bad about how easy it was to get Sophie and Eliot inside the hospital, but not quite. With Bill Smith missing unexpectedly from the hospital, it was only too easy to offer Eliot as a suitable replacement. And with the overworked and understaffed emergency room in an even tighter pinch with Amanda gone, they wouldn't take any notice to Sophie's visiting doctor character. Nate hoped the job would go as easily as the set-up, though in his experience, it hardly ever did.

The team met at the office in the afternoon, with Maddy in tow, riding piggyback on Hardison while holding Parker's hair like reigns in front of her. Sophie giggled at the odd sight and even Nate gave them a small smile. Eliot smiled briefly at Maddy then returned his face to the scowl they knew so well. But they also knew him well enough to know it was just his default expression, he rarely wanted to actually harm them, and most certainly never would. Assuring Maddy was occupied with another movie, this time Disney's Robin Hood, they began the meeting.

Sophie, Hardison (remote in hand), and Parker took seats facing the multi-screen, while Eliot stood behind them, arms crossed against his chest. Nate stood in front of the screen, holding off on the presentation for the time being.

"Ok. Here's what we know so far. County Hospital, specifically the Emergency Room." Hardison pressed a button at Nate's gesture and a schematic of the emergency wing came up onscreen. Nate moved to the side so they could see as he continued.

"One week ago, Bill and Amanda Smith go missing. Mrs. Hark finds Madison alone at her home when she comes to visit later that day. Fast forward a few days to us, and a few more to now. The nurse's desk is directly across from the main entrance, here and here." He paused to illustrate with his laser. "The security guards stand guard at the main entrance when not making their rounds, meaning that at any given time, both Bill and Amanda could have been taken together, or escaped together. Or, if Mrs. Hark's suspicions are correct, Bill could have easily kidnapped Amanda." He paused again to collect his thoughts, but Eliot interrupted.

"But you don't buy it. You think they disappeared from the house, don't you?"

"That certainly would seem more likely, wouldn't it?" Sophie agreed. Hardison and Parker nodded their agreement as well.

Nate nodded. "Exactly. It does seem more likely the couple disappeared from their home, one way or another. But the hospital still needs to be infiltrated; we still need to figure out what the hell is going on inside that place. Because Bill and Amanda? They're part of something bigger, that much is clear. And we need to know what that is if we," his voice dropped to a whisper, "ever want to reunite this girl with her parents." He glanced at Maddy meaningfully, who showed no sign of hearing him, too wrapped up in her movie.

"Alright gang, go home and get some rest, tomorrow's a big day. Hardison, Parker, keep her safe, and try to keep her happy." Nate wandered off, probably in search of a drink, leaving the team to glance at each other in confusion. It was the shortest meeting they'd ever had.

Shaking her head, Sophie addressed Parker and Hardison. "It's early yet, what do you plan on doing with Maddy today?" Parker looked confused.

"What do you mean? Same thing we've done the past three days. Hang out until dinner, feed her and put her to bed. What else do you do with a kid?" Hardison groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Only Parker could make his "keep Maddy safe at home" plan sound like a "Parker and Hardison don't know what the hell they're doing and should never be put in charge of a child" plan. Eliot looked baffled, and in any other circumstance, Hardison would have enjoyed that, but he could feel a Sophie lecture coming on.

"You don't mean the poor girl's been cooped up in Hardison's apartment for the past three days? The poor dear." She very nearly shook her finger at them, but stopped herself at the last moment. Eliot shared a glance with Sophie before adding his comment.

"Kids need fresh air, and exercise. And sunlight. Normal people go out in the daytime." He almost smiled at the thought of any of them being normal, but planted the scowl back in place.

Parker cackled, "See!" she exclaimed to Hardison, "I told you regular people don't stay up all night! Especially not on the computer with some ridiculous headset on."

And then she stuck her tongue out at him and he was so stunned that he couldn't respond. Eliot's scowl, however, vanished as he actually outright laughed at the exchange. Apparently hanging around a kid was making Parker regress, but it an amusing way. Sophie laughed at Eliot's reaction, which caused Parker to laugh, and finally Hardison gave in and joined. Parker found herself staring at Eliot as he laughed, she had so rarely seen him smile, but it was a good sight. She was glad she had been the one to make him laugh, and tucked the information into the back of her mind to use when Eliot needed cheering up. Which, knowing Eliot, would be sooner rather than later. When they stopped laughing, Hardison finally answered Sophie.

"We could take her to a park or something I guess. There's a playground near my apartment. Seen some of the kids in my building play there." He shrugged, as if to say "why not?"

"Well, there you go!" Sophie said happily. "Go have fun." She turned to look at Parker, but the blonde was gone. She had somehow made her way unnoticed to the couch, where she sat with Maddy, caught up in the tale of Robin Hood and his thieves. Eliot smirked at the sight but his eyes held amusement. Sophie watched Hardison as his gaze settled on the blonde and the little girl, soft smile on his lips.

"Maybe after the movie then," she suggested. Eliot nodded but Hardison didn't hear a word.

Maddy found new friend the moment they entered the park, leaving Parker and Hardison to sit on a free bench and watch her. They sat in silence until a petite redhead woman in her early thirties came and sat behind them, a weeping little boy about Maddy's age in tow. They watched in fascination as the woman wiped the boy's scraped elbow with some sort of disinfectant cloth and placed a band aid on the wound before giving his elbow a kiss. To their surprise, the boy stopped crying instantly and ran off again to play. The woman caught them staring, but merely smiled at them.

"Hi there. Haven't seen you here before. I'm Kathy, the crying one was Jackson, my boy." She laughed pleasantly as she goodheartedly teased her son. Parker stared blankly but Hardison caught up quickly, shaking Kathy's hand.

"Nice to meet you Kathy. I'm Alec, this is my, um, this is Parker." Kathy was put at ease with Hardison's relaxing smile, but she hadn't missed the strange introduction. She decided that in this day and age, there were all kinds of relationships, so who was she to dig? Instead, she just smiled again.

"Nice to meet you both. Which one is yours?"

"We don't… I mean, there, that one!" she blurted, pointing to Maddy nervously.

Hardison chuckled, "Don't mind Parker, she's a little tired. Maddy's been sick the past few days, been keeping us up at night."

Kathy smiled and accepted the explanation. "Don't worry hon; it gets better as they get older. I have a ten year old girl at home," she reassured Parker with a soothing tone. Parker gathered herself and managed to smile and nod.

"She's adorable," Kathy continued, looking at Maddy and Jackson, who were playing one of the intricate games of youth that all ended up looking like tag.

"Thank you." Hardison responded, "Your kid's pretty darn cute too." He grinned again and Kathy found herself wondering how long the young couple had been together and whether or not he was into older women. A squeal of delight from Maddy snapped her back to reality though, and she quickly busied herself in her PDA, pretending to catch up on work. Parker snorted and rolled her eyes at Hardison, who somehow looked offended she would do such a thing. He whispered in her ear, so Kathy wouldn't hear.

"I'll have you know, some women find me extremely sexy. So stop your snorting. Mmhm." Parker only snorted again.

"Any of these women outside of the internet?" she countered, gleam in her eye.

Hardison glared, "I'll have you know, miss…"

But he was interrupted by a lapful of Maddy jumping onto him, knocking the wind out of him for a moment.

"I'm hungry," she said, glancing between the slightly irate Hardison and the slightly flushed Parker. Checking her watch, Parker responded, "Well, it's nearly six. We should go home for dinner now anyway."

Taking Maddy's hand, she started back; Hardison falling into place on Maddy's other side. After a moment, the girl reached up and grabbed Hardison's hand with her free one. The adults looked at each other for a moment, unsure, but decided simultaneously to keep Maddy happy. And so they walked home, hand in hand in hand.

The next morning found Parker cutting up a banana to put in Maddy's cereal, something she'd seen once on an old TV show. The little girl sat at the counter, legs swinging, sipping orange juice. Hardison ambled in; eyes still sleepy, clothes rumpled, and Parker giggled at the sight. Hardison, still grumpy on account of it being before noon, took offense.

"Well look at you, all domesticated and stuff. Chopping bits of banana, like a real momma," he said in what could only be described as a mocking tone. Parker didn't mind, but decided to mess with him a little anyway. Raising the sharp knife in a way reminiscent of Eliot, she pointed it at Hardison, who backed up against the fridge in surprise.

"Bananas aren't the only things I can chop, Hardison." Parker grinned a downright evil grin, even as Hardison laughed, knowing she wouldn't actually hurt him. He raised his arms in mock surrender.

"Ok ok. I submit to your culinary skills, Miss Parker. Just don't hurt me!" His grin turned to a look of horror as the high pitched squeal filled the room. Dropping the knife onto the counter, Parker turned to look at Maddy, who was now sobbing in earnest. Feeling helpless, she froze. Hardison walked around her to stand next to Maddy.

"Hey. Maddy, what is it? What happened?" Maddy only cried louder and attached herself to Hardison's torso, sobbing into his chest. His arms circled her as he looked at Parker in confusion. After a minute, she calmed enough to look up at Hardison, eyes wide.

"She was gonna hurt you." Parker gasped as she realized she was the she in question. Hardison rubbed Maddy's back comfortingly.

"No no no, honey, she wasn't gonna hurt me. We were just kidding around. See? I'm perfectly fine. No hurt."

Maddy stopped crying as she realized Hardison was, in fact, fine. Parker took a step forward, but Maddy shrunk into Hardison's chest again. Looking like she just might cry, she took off into Hardison's bedroom, leaving him and Maddy in the kitchen.

After setting Maddy up with her breakfast and double checking the locks on the door, Hardison followed Parker into his bedroom. She sat on the windowsill, eyes still shiny but no tears apparent. She looked up at him, a mix of emotions on her face.

"She knows more than we thought. She's definitely seen something." Hardison nodded.

"You got that too huh?" Parker sighed angrily.

"I've never seen it from this side before. All that fear and anger! She doesn't know what to do with whatever it is she saw." Hardison walked to stand beside her, leaning his hip against the wall.

"Guess it's not just foster parent's that screw their kids up." He smiled crookedly at Parker who laughed a little, glad for the distraction of even a lame joke.

"Nope. Biological parents can be just as awful." She looked up at Hardison with the look of a lost child, "I just want to help her. Wanna make it better." Hardison tucked some of her wet hair behind her ear.

"We will. She's going to be fine, Parker. I promise." She shook her head, voice wobbly.

"You can't promise that Hardison, you can't. Her parents could be dead, or worse, criminals who abandoned their only daughter. How could she be fine then?"

"She has her grandmother, if all else goes wrong."

"Grandmothers die. And then she'll be all alone again, and some foster family will take her, and then get rid of her when they can't get her to smile like the other kids, or when they realize she doesn't like to play monopoly, or when he tires of her as she gets too old." Her voiced cracked on the last part and Hardison could only stare. This case was really shaking Parker up, even more so than back in Serbia.

Fighting his common sense, he pulled Parker to him and wrapped her tightly in a hug. Her arms stayed curled together against her chest, but she didn't pull away, and even rested her head against his shoulder for a few long moments, breathing deeply. Somehow the familiar smell of cologne and t-shirt that was uniquely Hardison calmed her nerves. Hardison tried not to be affected by an armful of Parker, but he was only human. Her hair was soft and sweet smelling against his cheek, and her body was warm against his. Mentally smacking himself, he shook off the inappropriate thoughts, after all, he was trying to comfort her, not seduce her. Pulling away at last, he smiled gently at Parker. He could tell she wanted to run, didn't want to look him in the eyes, hated being seen so vulnerable, but she was also proud. She looked directly at him for a moment before dropping her gaze again and muttering a muted "Thanks." Hardison just shrugged and smiled.

Parker stood quickly, as always. "We need to call Nate. Tell him what happened."

Hardison nodded, "Yeah. Maybe Sophie can come and do whatever it is she does that makes people tell her their momma's maiden name." Parker just stared. "Oh, never mind." Hardison huffed, but he was laughing as he said it.

Parker stopped him before they returned to the kitchen, "Do I look all blotchy and gross?" Hardison shook his head.

"You're perfect," he paused, "now let's go make that call."

And so they did.

TBC

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Ok, so yeah. More angst in this bit, but also some fun and cuteness and maybe even a bit of actual plot! Hope you liked it.


	5. Complications

A/N: A few notes actually. One: I'm not sure how many are actually reading this, if any, lol, but thank you if you are. Reviews would be awesome, but I'm not begging.. yet. Give it time, I'm pretty new to this, lol. Two: I should be studying for my 8AM final.. but instead I'm writing, because its more enjoyable. This has no effect on any of you, I just felt like sharing. Three: It's May.. which means just two short months until July and new Leverage!!! Just decided that we needed to be reminded of that happiness. Four: I'm learning I don't enjoy and/or am not as good at the actual "Job" aspects of fics.. so I might not go into it so much as I had originally planned. I enjoy the personal stuff entirely too much, sorry, :D If anyone has suggestions about any old thing, feel free to share. Anyway, off we go!

ALSO: something shippish may or may not happen in this chapter. You'll have to read to find out.

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Sophie spoke softly to Maddy, sitting casually on the couch beside her. Parker watched intently from an adjacent comfy chair, visibly upset that Maddy still seemed afraid of her. Hardison sat beside her, on the arm of the chair, one hand resting on Parker's arm. Sophie was surprised the thief would allow the prolonged touch; casual though it may be, but thought perhaps Parker and Hardison were growing closer than she realized. But it was a discussion for another day.

"Maddy, sweetheart, you feel comfortable here with me, right? You know that I'm your friend and I would never ever hurt you, right?" When Maddy nodded gently, Sophie continued.

"Good. That's really good. I know that it makes you feel scared and sad, but I need you to be a big girl and tell me why you thought Parker was going to hurt Hardison." At the mention of Parker, Maddy's eyes widened in fear and her gaze shot back and forth between Parker and Sophie. Sophie turned to Parker.

"Perhaps it's best if you took a rest, Parker, say in the other room, for instance?" Sophie nodded meaningfully. Parker said nothing, but shot up immediately, eye to the floor and walked swiftly into Maddy's room, door slamming behind her. Hardison went to follow, but as Sophie saw Maddy's visible reaction, she beckoned him to stay. Clearly torn, Hardison considered for a moment before sitting back down, filling the place Parker had been. One crisis at a time.

Meanwhile, Eliot and Nate watched silently from behind the kitchen counter, coffee cups in hand. Eliot was even ninety percent sure Nate's cup contained only coffee. Seeing Parker's apparent state of mind and Hardison's clear desire to comfort her, Eliot sighed and made his way to Maddy's room to try and talk to the thief before she disappeared out the window. Hardison cast him a grateful glance when he noticed Eliot's path. He nodded quickly. Nate, noticing all but saying nothing, sipped his coffee, trying not to think about how his son would never get to grow like these two, into a good man.

Sophie's soothing voice as she spoke to Maddy faded from Eliot's ears as he clicked the bedroom door shut behind him. He had half expected Parker to be gone already, so was more than a little surprised to find her there, sitting in the middle of Maddy's bed, knees tucked under her chin. She looked up at him as he entered and he was struck by how small she appeared. This was not the girl he knew.

Eliot sat on the other bed, across from Parker. They sat together in silence for what felt like hours, until even Eliot needed to fill the space.

"Not your fault, you know. Whatever happened to Maddy, it ain't your fault." Parker glared at him, twisting to face him, hands clenching the sheets beneath her.

"Did you see the way she looked at me! Like I hurt her, like it _was _my fault!"

"It's ain't your fault," Eliot repeated, "She's just overwhelmed and confused."

"I know that, I do. It's just," her voiced cracked, "It's just I really hoped her parents weren't monsters. But where else would she see something that scared her so much?"

Eliot nodded, "You would know." He said it matter of factly, no sympathy or pity in his voice, simply stating the truth. Parker smiled sadly, grateful that he understood her well enough to know it wasn't the time for pity.

"Yeah, I would." She paused before looking back up at Eliot intently, "We need to fix this."

"We will. I promise. I'll punch my way through the tri-state area if I have to." He grinned widely when Parker laughed at the joke. She tilted her head slightly, as if appraising him and he felt his skin heating, unfamiliar with scrutiny from Parker. But she just smiled.

"You're not so tough after all, are ya strong man?" she asked, half teasing and half genuinely curious. He didn't miss the question.

"Maybe not," he replied, suddenly very serious, "But nobody has to know, ok?" Parker nodded but snorted.

"Eliot Spencer, retrieval specialist, kung-fu master, talented cook and now protector of small children! What's next? Gonna rescue some cuddly puppies?" Eliot just glared, but there was no anger behind it.

"I don't do kung-fu, Parker." He rolled his eyes before grinning again. "But who doesn't love cuddly puppies?" Parker burst out laughing at the thought of Eliot with a puppy, especially a cuddly one, and the sound was sweet to his ears. And then the strangest thing happened.

Before he realized what was going on, Parker was beside him, sitting comfortably next to him as if she had been there from the beginning. And he thought that _he_ was fast. She looked at him with that appraising expression again, and his skin felt hotter than it had before. At least then she wasn't so close, wasn't looking at him so intensely, her eyes lit in a way he didn't understand, not from her. And then she kissed him, and he didn't care. It was over in a moment but his lips actually hummed from where hers had been. Her lips were softer than he expected and he wished he had been able to taste them, open them with his own and explore, but he stopped himself from pouncing, held back even as his whole body burned.

Breathing to calm himself, Eliot focused on Parker once again. She watched him silently, an unreadable expression on her face. He tried to speak but she cut him off with another kiss, more urgent this time. Her lips opened willingly and Eliot moaned softly at the sensation when her tongue ran across his bottom lip. Forgetting the world around him, he practically pulled her to him, a pleading look his eyes. Taking the hint, Parker climbed into his lap, one knee on each side of him, pressing into the mattress beneath them as they continued to kiss. He gasped when her hands slid under his shirt, scratching at his chest gently, leaving goosebumps in their trails. His hands gripped her waist, unable to focus on anything more than keeping her close. Eliot wished they were alone, wished they could lose the clothes, lose the world and wished nothing more than he could lay her down right there and show her exactly how much he wanted her, but they couldn't, not yet. He saw the same look in Parker's eyes as she pulled away to breathe, knowing she wished it too. Then she grinned in a way that could only be called wicked and he gasped again when she thrust against him, head falling back at the feeling. He grinned back, two could play that game. He took her bared throat as an invitation, kissing it lightly, sucking gently, biting just a little bit, nothing that could leave a mark. She clamped her hand to her mouth to stop the moan, and he eagerly replaced her hand with his own, eyes rolling when she bit down. Eliot laughed to himself, Parker would be a biter.

Gently, he did lay her down then, resting on his elbows above her, aligning their bodies. They were nearly the same height, something he was glad for as he realized she fit perfectly against him. Laughing again to himself, he realized they were actually making out, as in ninth grade, seven minutes in heaven, first time he saw a breast, making out. But when she wrapped her legs around his waist, he found that he didn't mind. Parker thrust up impatiently when he didn't move, and Eliot returned to kissing her before meeting her thrusts. The jeans they both wore didn't stop the sensations, only added to the maddening friction. They rocked together frantically, praying nobody would hear, praying nobody would walk in, praying Sophie talked for just a little while longer. Parker's climax surprised her, hadn't expected it to happen so fast, if at all, just from what they called "dry-humping" when she was in middle school. But it did, and her back arched just as Eliot's hand covered her mouth again, muffling her moan. Still pulsing all over, she dragged his lips down to hers again and continued to rub against him, clenching his hair tightly. The hair did him in, as it always had, and Eliot buried his face in her shoulder as he came.

Realization dawned simultaneously as they recovered on the tiny bed, still curled around each other. Eliot groaned as he really realized he had just come in his pants, like some damn schoolboy. Parker didn't mind, after all, she had more clothes there. Knowing time was limited, Eliot turned on his side to face here, propping his head up on one hand.

"When this case is over, you and me, we're gonna have a talk about this. A nice long talk." Parker furrowed her brow.

"Why?" she asked. "We had fun. Why can't we just do it again? A lot." Eliot smirked.

"Oh, I intend to, darlin', and so much more. But that don't mean we ain't talking this all out." Parker batted his arm playfully and rolled her eyes.

"You're such a girl." Eliot grinned.

"There's a certain body part of mine that would disagree with you there." Parker giggled and reached down to cup the part in question, relishing the glaze in Eliot's eyes at her touch.

"Fair enough," she agreed as she leaned in to kiss him again. She couldn't get enough of Eliot's lips and they way they molded around her own, the feeling of fire in her veins. He stopped her, unwillingly but necessarily, knowing they needed to make themselves presentable before rejoining the group.

Eliot made it halfway to the door before she was in front of him, wrapping around him again, her tongue making his toes curl as they kissed again. Sighing, he scooped her up and deposited her on the spare bed, begging her to stay but still disappointed when she did. He left the room as quietly as possible, and headed to the bathroom, glad the others were still engrossed in what they were doing. After cleaning up, Eliot stared hard at himself in the mirror, panicking slightly. He just kissed Parker. Parker! Crazy, quirky, thieving, damn sexy Parker. He'd more than kissed her. The memory of the look on her face as she came brought a grin to his face, something he was unfamiliar seeing in the mirror. He liked it. Deep down, he thought there was no way it could end well, no way to keep them from falling apart and hurting the team in the process. But he pushed the thoughts away, for now. For now, they were going to finish this job, and then he would see if Parker still wanted him. And then they would talk. Until then, well, he'd do his damndest not to make it obvious that all he wanted to do was take her right then, on any available surface. Nate really wouldn't appreciate the distraction.

When the group finally reconvened, Maddy had fallen asleep, Eliot tucking her into her own bed. Parker sat on the couch next to Sophie, Nate beside her. Hardison was still in the chair, and Eliot stood, looking intently at Sophie, not Parker. Not at all. Sighing softly, Sophie brought Eliot and Parker up to date.

"For all that, I barely got more than a few words out of the poor thing. But she did say one thing that seems important. She said 'she was going to hurt him like mama hurt daddy.'" Parker and Eliot exchanged glances, perfectly legitimate glances, thank you very much, since they were the only ones who had missed the news the first time. Nate picked up where Sophie left off.

"Right. So obviously this suggests that maybe the husband isn't who we should be looking at for this. Maybe Amanda is the mastermind here." Hardison shook his head in annoyance.

"I don't like it. I mean, neither of them shot up any flags on my scans, not even a parking ticket. But out of the two of them, it's hard to imagine somebody like her even being able to hurt such a big guy, never mind wanting to."

Parker replied, "It doesn't matter how big or small she is. She only needs to control him."

Eliot nodded his agreement, "Yeah, and weapons tend to make people a whole lot more compliant."

Hardison considered and nodded.

"So what do we do?" questioned Sophie. It seemed all their cases got more complicated as they went.

"Same thing we planned before," Nate replied, "Except we focus on Amanda this time. We find her, and we find Bill. Maybe even alive."

The meeting ended soon after. Nate left first. Hardison went to take a shower, muttering about never feeling clean enough after talking about sleazy people. Parker stood awkwardly in the living room with Eliot and Sophie before wandering off, claiming she needed a nap. Eliot held the door for Sophie, gentleman that he is, but she didn't walk through. Instead she stopped in front of him, reaching out to smooth down a stray patch of hair.

"You seem to have a small case of bed-head. Funny thing, that. Considering you didn't have it when we arrived." Eliot cursed himself internally; he'd thought he fixed all his hair. "You know… Parker had a similar problem before she rushed to the bathroom. I do wonder how such a coincidence came to be."

"Sophie, please," Eliot growled quietly, almost begging. She just smiled knowingly,

"I won't say a word. You can trust me."

Eliot growled again, knowing she was using this as an excuse to bury the hatchet on any lingering trust issues he had with her over the David incident. And the damndest thing was that he had no choice but to trust her. Nodding curtly, he took off down the hall, reaching the bottom of the stair before he heard the steady click of Sophie's heels. Everything had suddenly become much more complicated. Stalking to his car, he paused to look up into Maddy's window, somehow still surprised when he saw Parker there, looking down at him. She raised her hand, not quite a wave, but it made him happy anyway. Tipping an imaginary hat at her, he hopped in the car and drove away. Maybe complicated wasn't so bad after all.

TBC

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Ha! So apparently I've decided on a more Parker/Eliot vibe in this story. Those who have read anything else by me know this is highly unusual, so I hope I do them justice. And for those Hardison lovers.. don't worry! Don't count him out.. or at the very least, don't worry cuz I won't make him miserable.

We're approaching the end here. A few more chapters at the most.


	6. Timing

A/N – Plot! No, really. Stuff not relating to schmoopiness happens. May be good stuff, may be bad. Read to find out, :D Sort of a short chapter, but its 2AM and I need to be up in 5 hours. More tomorrow, lol.

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Early the next morning, the fifth day Maddy was with them, she stopped being afraid of Parker. The thief had avoided the girl as much as possible, careful not to startle her again. So she was surprised to wake up in the middle of the night to a prodding finger on her cheek. Instantly awake, Parker realized it was Maddy poking her and she asked her what was wrong. "Hardison's on the computer," was her sleepy answer. Parker continued to stare at the girl, unsure what she was expecting. Maddy pulled at the covers and Parker took the hint, tucking the girl in beside her, wrapping an arm around her protectively. Batting at the poof of hair suddenly in her face, she whispered to Maddy they would need to do something about the crazy hair in the morning, but she was already asleep. Smiling to herself, Parker followed.

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Around that same time, Sophie, in her full doctor gear, approached Eliot, in his security guard uniform, inconspicuously, and asked him if he wouldn't mind escorting her to her car; she didn't feel comfortable walking alone so late at night. Eliot cast her a quick, questioning glance, but did as she asked. His sleepy guard mate paid him no mind, not even noticing as he left. They stayed silent until they reached Sophie's car, where she beckoned him to get in. So he did.

"What's going on?" Eliot was beginning to feel alarmed at the strange expression on Sophie's face.

"I think I found Amanda," she replied, but her voice sounded unsure, unwilling.

"Where?"

Sophie sighed, "In the morgue. Listed as a Jane Doe. Overdose."

"Fuck."

"Not quite what I would say, but yes, that's about right."

"Guess we should call Nate." Sophie rolled her eyes.

"I suppose so. He won't appreciate being woken up this early, I'm sure."

"Reckon he hasn't gone to bed yet," Eliot countered.

Sophie nodded in weary agreement as she reached for her phone.

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Six AM was far too early for just about everything, but especially for emergency meetings at Hardison's apartment to discuss the suspicious death of their client's daughter. They understood the need to discuss options before Maddy woke up, but it still hurt. Nate had been asleep, but only for a few hours, and was indeed annoyed at being woken up before the sun. Eliot and Sophie were tired from their overnight shift, and Hardison hadn't gone to bed yet. Parker had slept, but unwilling left the warmth of Maddy's cuddling to attend the meeting. Sophie filled Hardison and Parker in on what she had learned. Hardison cursed softly and dropped his head to his knees, suddenly wishing he had gotten some sleep after all. Parker remained stoic, nodding at appropriate breaks in Sophie's account.

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"We need to find Mr. Smith." Nate interrupted Sophie's speech, noticing Parker's non-reaction. He knew a silent Parker was more dangerous than a screaming Parker. Too many variables. He continued.

"At this point, it doesn't matter what's going on at the hospital. Our main goal needs to be finding Mr. Smith. If we manage to take down some shady dealings while we're at it, great. But that can't be our focus. Eliot, tonight you go back to the hospital and do what it is you do, find out where Bill went. Somebody knows something, and you need to find out what that is." Eliot nodded, not happy at the prospect. He hoped they would at least fight back. Playing bully was just so high school.

"Sophie," Nate paused to consider. "Sophie, you stay at the desk, chat up the nurses some more, but do not go wandering. I repeat, do not wander. I don't want you in any danger."

"I can take care of myself, Nate," Sophie protested, "Or have you forgotten your battle wounds already?"

Nate sighed, "I know that. Just, please. Soph, just please. We can't afford to lose you."

The unspoken "I can't afford to lose you" hung in the air, but nothing more was said. Sophie nodded her consent, finding herself suddenly choked up. Just when she thought he had no hope, he surprised her. She should've known; Nate always did have a unique sense of timing.

"What do we tell Maddy?" Parker broke in, expression blank.

Nate rubbed his temples, "Nothing yet. Not until we find her father. And then, well, that's really a family thing. Her grandmother will want to tell her I suppose."

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Eliot left to get some sleep, pausing briefly to squeeze Parker's hand, the others be damned. Her face remained blank, but she squeezed back, holding on a second longer than necessary. Sophie was too wound up to sleep, but left with Nate and his offer of buying her a coffee. Hardison collapsed on the couch next to Parker, exhausted but also not ready to sleep.

"You alright?" he asked, knowing it was dumb but not sure what else to say.

Parker nodded, frowning, "Yeah, I'm ok. I just feel bad for her."

"Yeah, poor kid," Hardison agreed. But Parker shook her head.

"No, not Maddy. I mean, I do feel bad for her. But I was talking about Amanda. Even if she was bad, now she'll never get the chance to be good."

"You have a strange way of looking at things, girl. But you're not wrong." He nudged her shoulder gently.

She looked at him suddenly. "Do you like me?"

Hardison was flustered, "What do you.. what does that have to do with.. not really the time or place for this… yeah. Yeah, I guess I do." He trailed off, embarrassed. Girl had the strangest timing.

"I don't like you. Not like that. I like being your friend, or at least your coworker, we have fun together, but I don't want to be with you. Not like that." She paused. "I'm sorry." And he saw that she really was.

"I figured," Hardison confessed, "It's alright, you're still my girl. In a strictly friends only meaning, of course." He smiled at the last part, glad when she smiled back softly.

"Besides," Hardison continued, "I know you're into Eliot, and I want no part of being in the middle of that. Dude could kill me with his highlights." Parker giggled, but stopped suddenly.

"How do you know?"

"About the highlights?" Hardison teased, "It's just a feeling." At her confused look, he continued.

"Kidding! About you and El? I wasn't sure, but the video helped clear things up. You were there when I installed it, to watch Maddy. That was some show you two put on." He grinned mischievously at her.

Parker looked stunned, "I forgot about the camera."

"That's not like you."

"No," she agreed. "This case has been…"

"Rough?"

"Yeah."

"I wanted to be angry," Hardison confessed. "But I mostly just want you to be happy, cheesy as that sounds. And El's a good guy, crazy as that sounds. You two are probably made for each other. Who am I to mess with fate?"

Parker rolled her eyes, "He wants to talk. After this is over. Like, a relationship talk. We haven't even had sex yet!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, now! Just cuz I'm not all pissed about you and Eliot, don't mean I want to be hearing about your sex life! Or, soon to be sex life. Whatever. The thought of Eliot having a 'where is this relationship going' talk is funny though. Not so tough after all, is he?"

Parker laughed, "That's what I said! Promised I wouldn't tell anybody though." She frowned, wondering if she'd broken the promise. Hardison answered her thought.

"Hey. I guessed it. You didn't say anything. No broken promises."

"You're good at reading my mind. It's creepy. But also ok. Just don't do it when I'm in the shower. Or in bed."

"I can't actually read your mind! I'm not a superhero! But damn, that would be cool. Can you imagine it? Wouldn't even need to do a con… I could just tell you what they were all thinking!"

Parker laughed, "Yeah, but then Sophie would be out of a job. Don't think she'd be very happy."

"Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I would know." He grinned widely.

"I'm glad you're still my friend." She said it quickly and softly, but seriously.

"Of course," Hardison nodded. "Just please, don't have sex at the office! There are some things a man can't un-hear."

"What about on the roof?"

Hardison groaned.

TBC

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Yeah, so that's not what I had planned for this chapter. But I felt like Parker and Hardison needed to have a talk. Hardison's a good guy, I don't think he'd turn into an ass just because Parker chose Eliot, so I'm sticking to it! Lol. Also.. I did not intend to kill off Amanda.. it just sort of happened. Tune in to see what happens(or happened) to Bill!


	7. Not How We Planned

A/N – Second to last chapter. I apologize if this doesn't have enough action for you. Turns out, I kinda suck at complicated "job" stuff, so I changed my course. I hope you enjoy it anyway. Last chapter will be up immediately after this one.. just separating them for neatness.

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Eliot called Nate as he went to his car, shaking his head minutely at Sophie on the way, telling her to stay where she was, talking to the nurses. She appeared baffled for a moment but stayed in character, friendly smile in place. Once in the quiet of the car, Eliot explained his call to Nate.

"Nate. I was going through the patient files in the ER in the last six months. Seems Amanda shows up in an unusual amount of deaths, even for an ER. I'd say 75% of the deaths with her name attached were caused by sudden cardiac arrest. Not sure we can call that a coincidence."

"No," Nate agreed, softly, "I'm going to have to call you back. Don't forget the milk."

Nate closed the phone as he opened the office door and stepped aside, an irate Bill Smith towering the doorway.

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"Son of a bitch!" Eliot cursed, recognizing the obvious code for help. Growling to himself, and filling Sophie in through their comms, he sped off towards the office.

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Eliot slipped in the office door silently, Parker would be proud. Or maybe offended. It was hard to tell with her. Hand hovering over the knife at his waist, he made his way slowly to the kitchen, where he could hear low voices. He stopped short at what he saw. Bill Smith sat on one of the kitchen stools, looking damn near dead. Nate was in the middle of pouring two healthy glasses of whisky when he noticed Eliot. He shrugged, suggesting there was no danger but stick around anyway. Eliot wondered why Nate hadn't called, and why he didn't have his comm in, but his questions would have to wait. Bill seemed to be finishing up what must have been a long story. He drank half the whisky Nate offered him in one gulp. Eliot knew he'd regret that soon, rough as he looked, but kept his opinion to himself.

"And so I caught her one night. Don't know exactly what she did, but she injected something in the IV, and next thing I know, the kid was flat lining and she just walked away. She came back in a few minutes, with the other nurses, and watched him die. She didn't see me in the hall. I confronted her later, at home, asked her what she'd gotten herself into. Told her we'd get out of it somehow, no matter what it was. But she just, she went crazy. Threatened me with a cleaver! And she could have done it too, I saw it in her eyes. She could have stabbed me right there. But Maddy was just a few feet away, and I didn't want to scare her, so I just let Amanda threaten. She sliced me, here on my neck, but it wasn't enough to cause damage. But I knew I needed to take Maddy and get out. I planned to, after Amanda went to bed, but I didn't get the chance. Didn't know a frying pan could actually knock somebody out, but when I woke up, I knew." Stopping momentarily to breathe and drink the rest of his whiskey, Bill began again.

"Long story short, she left me for dead in the middle of the woods, she thought I was, but I was just out cold. It took me days to get back here and recover enough to track her down. And now you tell me she's dead. Mandy didn't take drugs. I'm sure it was those Russians she was working for that killed her. I heard them talking, they helped her bring me to the woods. Thought I was dead too. I don't even know what they were getting out of their arrangement. "

"Money," Nate supplied, "Probably insurance fraud. We have some unfortunate experience in the area."

Bill nodded wearily, "Alright. Well, whatever it was, they're long gone now. But they did something at the hospital. Scared everybody I think, that's why they don't talk about us at all. Everything is so screwed up. A week ago I had a loving family. Now my wife is dead, after she tried to kill me, my mother in law will never believe me, and I haven't seen my little girl in far too long. Mr. Ford, please let me see my daughter."

Nate nodded, "Of course. I'll make the call."

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"Daddy!" Madison squealed in delight at the sight of her father. Bill's face lit up with such love, not even Parker was unaffected. She smiled, somewhat sadly, at the reunion. She'd grown attached to the sweet girl. Hardison wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders in commiseration, he'd miss Maddy too. Much to Sophie's amusement, and Nate's befuddlement, Eliot growled involuntarily at the sight, though Hardison appeared not to notice. Nate cast Sophie an inquisitive glance but she merely mouthed, "later." He grinned, a genuine smile, and Sophie couldn't help but smile back. Things between them weren't great yet, but they were getting better.

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The next day at the office, Eliot grumbled about the whole job being a letdown. He hadn't even gotten the chance to fight.

"You bitching about _not_ getting beat up?" Hardison asked in disbelief. When Eliot smirked in response, he just shook his head, "There's something _wrong_ with you." Eliot and Parker laughed simultaneously, causing Hardison to shake his head again.

"That. That right there. That is just weird. You two… the earth is definitely doomed." But they paid him no mind.

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Sophie found Nate on the balcony, surprisingly no drink in hand. He grasped the railing, staring off into the sunset. He turned as she walked forward, more instinct than will, but unavoidable nonetheless.

"It's been a strange job." Sophie commented softly, leaving the subject open for Nate to take in any direction.

"That is has. We didn't do much. We couldn't even save Amanda." He shook his head sadly.

"Nate, nobody could have save her! She sealed her own fate by dealing with those awful people. The important thing is that we kept Madison safe. And reunited her with her father."

Nate shook his head, "We didn't even need to protect Madison. She would've been fine with the grandmother. We should never have been involved."

"Oh, Nate. Always the pessimist. Perhaps we didn't do much for Madison, but look what she's done for us! For Parker, especially. I've never seen that girl so _human_ as when she was with Madison. If I didn't know her, I'd swear she actually was her mother. You're always saying Parker needs to deal with routine civil activities, and that's just what she did. And she did it well."

Nate smiled thoughtfully, "You're right. Maybe Parker was the job this time."

"Now of course, we have to deal with Parker and Eliot, of all people, which should prove interesting. Still, it's rather exciting, isn't it?" Sophie laughed in real delight.

Nate groaned slightly, "It will never be dull. Hardison is right, the earth is definitely doomed. I can only imagine the trouble those two can get into together."

Sophie smiled slyly, gaze drifting in thought, "Yes. But I'll bet the sex is unbelievable!"

Nate stood speechless, long after Sophie walked away laughing. Clever, sexy, evil woman. God, how he loved her.

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Hardison rushed home to be in his apartment alone for the first time in a week. Nate and Sophie left one after each other for their own homes. Parker and Eliot walked to their cars together, fingers brushing against each other occasionally, but not holding hands. Leaving Parker at her car, Eliot walked to his, getting in and absolutely not jumping when he saw Parker sitting beside him. He didn't even bother asking how she had gotten there, or how she had gotten there so fast. It was just something you accepted with her.

"Take me home with you. We can talk. Eventually." A wicked grin spread across her face.

Eliot gulped. The woman had a way of making him feel jittery that he was quickly becoming addicted to.

"Yes Ma'am," he responded, praying he made it to his place without crashing. He caught his breath as she reached across his lap, and exhaled sharply when she clicked his seatbelt in place.

"Safety first," Parker stated, completely serious.

Eliot grinned, "Too late for that, Darlin'. Not that I mind." Thing was, neither did she.

TBC

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Ok folks, that's pretty much it. Just the required sappiness ending left in the next chapter.


	8. Goodnight

A/N – Well, folks, this is the end. This has been a long and interesting week for me. This was my longest story so far, and the first where I tried to write more about the actual job. It didn't end up like I thought, but I hope you like it anyway. Thank you to everyone that has been reading and/or reviewing. Reviews make my day. This chapter is basically just a wrap up as everybody settles back into life. And may I remind you all, July is not far away!!! Happiness.

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Hardison was asleep by ten o'clock, unheard of in the geek world. However, the thrall of an empty, quiet apartment, and his big soft bed with no chance of interruptions, were too great to pass up. Falling into bed, he was out before he hit the pillow, smile on his face.

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Sophie fell asleep early as well, in her ridiculously expensive bed with ridiculously expensive linens, still wearing her ridiculously expensive jewels. Across town, Nate lay awake in bed, wishing she was there beside him, warm and sweet and just a little bit wild. He was running out of time, he knew, but he needed more. He knew he'd only hurt her if he tried anything now. But he was getting closer, he could feel it. She wasn't the same woman he fell in love with, all those years ago, she was better. He hoped she would wait for him, just a little bit longer. Giving in to exhaustion, Nate dozed off, hopeful smile on his face.

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They didn't make it out of the car. Eliot pulled into his garage, the door closing after them. He reached for the handle, but Parker was faster. She pounced, managing to reach the lever on the side of Eliot's seat, pushing back so he was nearly horizontal, before climbing on top of him. Eliot tried to protest, really he did, wanting to be in a comfortable bed with lots of room, but she made it hard to think straight. And when she pulled off her shirt, she just made him hard.

Eliot reached up to cup her breasts, rubbing gently across her nipples. Parker gasped at the feeling of his calloused fingers on her sensitive skin and batted his hands away. Lifting herself in a way only incredibly flexible people can, she slipped off her jeans and panties in one move, shoes and socks somehow already gone. Eliot looked up at her with a goofy, dazed expression, drinking the sight of her in. She pulled at his shirt impatiently with one hand, at his belt with the other. Taking the hint, Eliot quickly scrambled out of the shirt and pants, lifting them both as he did. Parker grinned in delight when she noticed he had nothing on under his jeans. Wrapping one hand around him, she stroked slowly, and it was all Eliot could do to not lose it right there. Grabbing her waist, he whispered please in raggedy breath. Parker smiled sweetly and leaned down to kiss him, almost chaste. Then she enveloped him, in one fluid motion, and they both froze in place at the sensation.

Eliot thought of every disgusting thing he could to hold off for as long as possible. But Parker made it difficult with her magic hips. She rode him hard but he met her thrust for thrust. She ran her hands all over his muscled chest and bulging arms; scratched her nails across his sensitive hips as she went up and down. Leaning forward, Parker rested her forehead to Eliot's, lips not quite touching, never stopping her motions. Knowing she was close, Eliot flicked his thumb once on her most sensitive spot, and the surprise and bolt of pleasure shot her over the edge. She collapsed onto him, even as he continued to thrust, desperate for release. Grinning, she bit into his shoulder, not hard enough to draw blood, but almost. Eliot's response was immediate, eyes rolling back as he came, wrapping his arms around Parker to pull her to him as he recovered. Still joined, they rested, Parker splayed on Eliot's chest, his arms still holding her close, unwilling to let go. Parker kissed his collarbone softly, too boneless to do much else. Later, much later, they would talk. But they had a bed to test out first. And if Parker had her way, the roof.

THE END

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Yeah, I'm not big on graphic sex scenes… hope that was enough for you! :D That's it! Well, except for the bonus chapter! Lol, I just decided to write it, after Medie Shanachie suggested something I should do. Read on to find out!


	9. Bonus Fun

A/N – So what would happen if Eliot realized he was taped in Maddy's room making out with Parker? Apparently, this. Lol

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A few weeks after Maddy had gone home, Eliot heard giggling coming from Hardison's office as he made his way to the kitchen. He recognized the laugh as Sophie's. Putting two and two together, he realized Hardison making Sophie laugh could only mean he had something on somebody that could prove embarrassing. Hoping it was Nate, Eliot made his way silently to the office, not even needing to hide to not be seen. Whatever it was Hardison and Sophie were watching had them engrossed.

"Ooh, look, this is my favorite part! Look at his face!" Hardison sounded positively giddy.

A few minutes later, Sophie cleared her throat, looking a little flushed, "That's not entirely unpleasant, is it?"

Hardison shrugged, noncommittally, "Good enough looking people."

When they both went silent, watching intently, Eliot had enough. He stormed into the office, before Hardison could react and shut the computer off. Noticing him, Sophie fled, click clacking away as she locked herself in her own office. Eliot went white as he realized what they had been watching. Hardison pressed the off button just as Eliot saw Parker pull his hair in the video, pushing him over the edge. Rage filled his head as white noise, and Hardison had the good sense to be scared, but it was too late to run away.

Eliot placed one arm on either side of Hardison's chair.

"What. The. Hell?" he ground out.

Hardison actually squeaked before answering. "Maddy! The camera was there to make sure Maddy was alright. You remember Maddy. Yay tall, lots of hair, cute as a button? Please don't kill me."

Eliot took a step back and decided against killing him, mainly because he didn't want to explain it to Nate.

"I get why there was a camera, _Alec_," he drawled, the use of Hardison's first name scarier than the hitter's physical proximity. "What I don't get is why you and Sophie were watching it like it was some pay per view movie!"

Hardison paled, as much as his dark skin would allow. "We were just umm, watching, and um, making an unbiased observation."

"And what might that observation be?"

Hardison mumbled, "You and Parker are sexy as hell. I'm secure enough in my manhood to admit that."

Eliot laughed, "Then why are you mumbling, boy?"

"Cuz nobody _wants_ to be caught watching two of their best friends get all hot and heavy! What the hell, man!"

Eliot calmed down, finding the humor. After all, he got to sleep with Parker, he'd let Hardison have his fun. Still, maybe he needed to be fucked with, just a little.

Eliot strode to the door but stopped right before he walked out.

"Too bad you don't have video in my car. You missed a hellavu show the other night. Parker doesn't like underwear. Or waiting." He grinned and swaggered out, knowing the images would drive Hardison crazy. Turning the knob to Parker's office, he surprised her with a kiss, and she surprised him with a flowy skirt and a pair of handcuffs. Oh how he loved his job these days.

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Knowing Eliot and Parker would be busy for a while, Hardison knocked on Sophie's door, entering when she called out permission.

"Soph. You gotta see this. A while back, I may or may not have installed a web cam in Eliot's car. And, well, there's a reason it's the age of the geek, baby."

Sophie grinned in glee.

THE END.

For real this time!

That's the end of my first long ass story. I really hope you liked it. Any and all comments would be appreciated.

And yes, my Hardison and Sophie are unabashed voyeurs. Because, why the hell not? lol


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